James Douglas. Where did it all go right?

Yeah, for a dude who went upward of 400 bills, I thought Douglas looked great at 235 for Quinn Navarre in 1997............ I was impressed with that effort / comeback fight......

Douglas looked soft and jiggly in 1998 at 243 for Lou Savares...... I was upset that Douglas was so fragile..... However, Savarese did own a wicked right cross in any case....... L.S. had strength and power..........

Douglas actually came back again and fought a couple of bums to cap-off his career. I have no clue what type of shape Douglas was in for them nothing fights, but Douglas did go out a winner nonetheless.......

MR.BILL

 

Left hooks, the absolute bane of Carl Williams's career.

 

I'll have to find the source, but I think it was on an ESPN special when it was the anniversary for Douglas-Tyson. One of the trainers mentioned how Buster could look like a true "trainer's dream" executing all the orders in camp with ease. However, he had Bowe-itis. Just not on the night he fought Tyson.

Watch the Tucker-Douglas fight. He's hanging in there, then suddenly he gets the look, "Ugh, this is too much goin' on here" and switches out of being competitive.

For the night with Tyson, Douglas pulled it all together in one of those never forgotten rare moments of boxing history. It's always great to see a story like this get out. Being a Philly fan I'm always about the underdog.

 

If Douglas would have beaten Lou we'd have the misfortune of finally seeing a Tyson-Douglas II matchup. I'm thankful that never happened. Ever see the "old timer" fights of Holmes career? Yeah, I'd assume it to be something like that.

 

I remember seeing an interview with Tyson where he was just laughing that he was going to fight Douglas again.
Douglas did ok if he was left alone and could operate at range, but as soon as an opponent pressured him, he was in bad shape. Monaco really laid him out against the ropes, Douglas was unconscious for a while, and Savarese just steamrolled him.
It would have been a nice payday for Douglas but he would have gotten hurt badly.

 

When he realized that he had "nothing to lose" after evrything else in his life had gone south on him. It was one one the greatest, if not THE greatest "Rocky Momemts" in boxin history. They can say what they want to about Buster before and since, but he was indeed "something special".

 

It all went wrong the way he handled himself after beating Tyson. Getting blown out by Holyfield in 3 rounds was a disgrace and he arrived in pathetic shape. I don't know if it was the suspected bouts with diabetes that affected his conditioning, but Douglas has no business perfoming like he did against Holyfield. Sadly, he's a one night wonder and wouldn't be if he had defended against Holyfield. As heavyweight champion, Douglas could have had paydays with Bowe, Golota, Moorer and Mercer. Who knows if he would have still been champion, perhaps defending against Lewis, Ruddock and an aged Larry Holmes.